All quotes and statistics not specifically sourced in endnotes came from interviews conducted by the author or from written testimonials supplied to the author between July 2011 and April 2012. He wishes to thank the following educators for the time, information and expertise they provided him in writing this Case Study:

ALL PHOTOS by Daniel Montgomery, Mackinac Center marketing and design director. All photos featured online were taken at Oxford Community Schools, except the photo at the bottom of this page.

ENDNOTES

1 For school enrollment, see “Pupil Membership History: FY 1994-95 to FY 2012-13,” (Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency, 2012), http://goo.gl/xOCx3 (accessed April 27, 2012). For education-related tax revenues, see “Sources of Local School Operating Revenue: School Years 1968-69 to FY 2009-10,” (Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency, 2011), http://goo.gl/SOiz2 (accessed April 27, 2012). Cost pressures depended on numerous factors that varied by district, but all conventional public school districts were subject to the increased contributions required for the Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System. These contributions were already equivalent to 12.17 percent of a district’s payroll in fiscal 2002, and they had risen to 17.74 percent by fiscal 2007. “Employer Information: Office of Retirement Services: Public School Employees Retirement System: FY 2001-02,” (Michigan Office of Retirement Services, 2012), http://goo.gl/l4wWh (accessed April 26, 2012); “Employer Information: Office of Retirement Services: Public School Employees Retirement System: FY 2006-07,” (Michigan Office of Retirement Services, 2012), http://goo.gl/l6Q6L (accessed April 26, 2012). The phrase “one-state recession” was used more than once; see, for instance, Michael LaFaive, “Municipal Finance Expert Louis Schimmel Joins Mackinac Center,” (Mackinac Center for Public Policy, 2006), http://www.mackinac.org/7706 (accessed April 30, 2012).

2 Author’s calculations based on “State Aid Status Reports - Prior Year,” (Michigan Department of Education, 2003), http://goo.gl/NACDx (accessed April 26, 2012). For school population projections, see “SEMCOG 2035 Forecast Population by Age Group by School District,” (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, 2009), http://goo.gl/K2528 (accessed March 20, 2012).